Having ascended through the ranks of the underground scene since their formation in 2006, Erebus Enthroned have pulled out all the stops with their second full length album Temple Under Hell. Full of dissonant darkness and unadulterated Black Metal sensibilities, the destructive wake of this release revives some of the more ritualistic aesthetics.

Starting off with the bleak guitars of ‘Sorathic Pentecost’ the drumming breaks in with a steady pace as the venomous shrieks pierce through the instrumentation with a strong sense of clarity. Around halfway through, the Black Metal trademark blast beasts reverberate with an eccentric precision as everything becomes cranked up to an exhilarating scale.

Next up. ’Trisagion’ follows in a similar fashion with a strong emphasis upon immediate drum attack and cathartic guitars paving the way forward. The vocals remain as deadly as before as they carve a further dose of bloodletting.

Personal highlight, ‘Black Sword’ comes fully loaded with droning riffs and guttural screams and all round sonic driven powerhouse that will no doubt see Black Metal loyalists rejoicing to at live shows.

Meanwhile, the ferocity of ‘The Temple Under Hell’ charges forth into anarchic terrain with technically proficient drum work, tortured sounding vocals and sinister sounding guitars that keep you hooked throughout, whilst going out on an all out high note of savagery.

The final few moments of ‘Return’ see the band attaining a higher plain of artistry as the guitar led crescendo takes flight with a final swoop of agony to impale itself upon your ears.

To say this was an intense release would be a mild way of describing this record. More accurately this exhilarating ride is one that never loses momentum and each track is crafted to a high standard. While this may not be for the fainthearted those who become pulled into the wake of Erebus Enthroned will find it inescapable should get you marking this as one of 2014’s best offerings.